Police have arrested three car washers who allegedly stole Sh118million from a car that Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona had taken for washing.
Sseggona, who is the chairperson of the committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises (COSASE), had taken his car for washing at a washing bay in Rubaga near the Catholic cathedral.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango yesterday identified the suspects as Jordan Asiimwe, Emmanuel Migadde and John Vianney Kibaale. According to Onyango, other suspects are still at large.
Detectives from Nateete Police Station reportedly searched the suspects’ residences in Wankolokolo- Kinaawa along Nakawuka road in Kyengera town council, Wakiso district, and recovered some of the money.
“We recovered sh35m, and the suspects claim they took sh118m,” Onyango said. It is alleged that Sseggona took his car and left it at the washing bay, and the car washers reportedly took away the cash as they cleaned it.
The area chairperson, Edward Lutaaya, was present as police searched the suspects’ houses before detectives recovered some of the money from a ceiling in one of the rented rooms. Lutaaya appealed to youth to work hard instead of engaging in theft.
There was drama when the suspects accused each other of taking more money. Police is still following reports that some of the money was taken by the suspects to Mpigi, and by yesterday evening, detectives had travelled there.
When contacted yesterday, Sseggona said he did not want the story published, saying he had enough problems.
“I do not want that story in the newspaper. Do that for me,” the legislator said.
According to the 2023 annual crime report released recently, thefts of all kinds (general) were the highest cases reported (31,262), followed by common assault (23,822), domestic violence (14,681), obtaining by false pretences (10,709), threatening violence (10,591), defilements (8,925), and cattle thefts (8,442). The report said theft cases were mainly motivated by economic gain.
The theft of Sseggona’s cash comes a few months after 12 people, including three Police officers, allegedly stole an unspecified amount of cash from the home of the National Resistance Movement’s national treasurer, Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo.
The 12, including the three Police officers who had been deployed to guard Oundo’s home, have since been remanded over the robbery.
The prosecution alleged that the accused persons and others still at large on December 5, 2023, in Kyeitabya zone in Bukasa parish, Makindye division, while armed with two guns received and retained an unspecified amount of money of Oundo knowing or having a reason to believe the same to have been feloniously stolen.
The accused officers are Sgt Dominic Idro, 49, and police constables Michael Wango, 24, and Sharif Mugoya 33, all attached to the Very Important Person Protection Unit under the counter-terrorism department.
The other accused persons, who are civilians, are Edgar Arinda known as Watson, 26, a resident of Mwenge Kitumba in Fort Portal, Kabarole district; Josh Kalinda, 28, a bodaboda rider and resident of Makerere Kikoni, Kampala and Emmanuel Basooma, 32, a businessman residing in Budongo zone B in Namutumba district.
The group was arraigned before Makindye Grade One Magistrate, Charles Opio, and charged with six counts.
